25+ Festive Things to Do in NYC at Christmas with Kids

Over the last holiday season, I learned there are tons of things to do in NYC at Christmas with kids. And my family was fortunate enough to “extend” Christmas in NYC for a whole week!

I surprised my kids, Lily and Hugo, with the news of the trip on Christmas Eve. We left just two days later, early in the morning on December 26th, and came home on January 2nd.

My kids were the perfect ages to feel the magic of Christmas in one of the most magical cities I’ve ever been in.

So we ticked off our own NYC Christmas bucket list!

Is New York good for kids at Christmas?

Translation: is New York fun during Christmas?

Truthfully, New York is always fun, and therefore always a good holiday for kids. There’s so much to do, if you’re not having fun, you’re not even trying!

But there are so many more things to do in NYC at Christmas, and so many of the usual things that are amped up for the season, I cannot recommend it enough.

Is New York too cold for kids in December?

The weather can be completely different from one year to the next.

That said, significant snowfall in New York City in December is not common. On average, it only snows on two days in December, and the average low temperature at night is 32 degrees.

So while it is chilly, it is not often below freezing. A winter coat, gloves, warm shoes, and a hat should keep you comfortable for most visits to NYC at Christmas.

Is NYC crowded at Christmas?

With a residential population of 8 million people (that doesn’t include tourists!), there’s never really a time when the island of Manhattan isn’t technically crowded.

That being said, yes, it is definitely more crowded at Christmas time.

However, the only part of the city that was uncomfortably crowded was the Times Square area. I’ve never seen it so packed in my life! We were literally rubbing past people on all sides just to inch down the sidewalk.

But we never had trouble getting on a bus or subway car. Tourist attractions had reservations available all the way up until the week of our trip. Areas outside of Times Square allowed us to maintain personal space while walking.

We saw a LOT of other children around the city, including tons of little ones being pushed in strollers!

I was also surprised by how unphased my children were by the crowds. My normally introverted son was leading the way, pulling my hand.

Is it worth visiting NYC at Christmas with kids?

100% YES. The memories my kids and I made during our time in New York City just after Christmas were well worth the trip.

While we certainly splurged on some extravagant experiences while we were there, so much can be enjoyed for little to no cost. NYC is worth visiting with your kids at Christmas no matter your budget.

I think of myself as a “splurge budgeter”: I save money on transportation, lodging, and food in any way I can so that we can spend our vacation budget on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I’ll tell you how I did it, too!

What is there to do in NYC for kids at Christmas?

Some people think New York City is not a great place to take kids on vacation.

Those people are wrong.

Not only that, a trip to NYC at Christmas with kids doesn’t have to drain your bank account. (Though it certainly can if you allow it to, haha!)

So what should you not miss in New York in December?

Well, I’m about to go over all the things to do in NYC at Christmas with kids, from the free things to the cheap things to the expensive once-in-a-lifetime things!

Best Time to Visit NYC for Kids’ Christmas Activities

Christmas in the city of New York is far more than just a December thing. There are things to do from Thanksgiving all the way through mid-January!

The vast majority of Christmas decorations in NYC are up by Thanksgiving (or the day after).

Some places take their decorations down on New Year’s Day, but many will stay up until mid-January, giving you a pretty big window to make it into the city for some holiday cheer!

Of course, not all activities will be available after Christmas (like breakfast with Santa), but the crowds are also lower, especially after New Year’s.

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Best NYC Hotels for Families at Christmas

I’ll be real with you: unless you are fairly wealthy, there are no great hotels for families in NYC around Christmas time. Hotels are aware of the city’s popularity during this time of year, so their rates are doubled or tripled (or more).

Even if you can find one in Manhattan (the borough people think of when they think “NYC”) for less than $250 a night, it’s literally going to be a bed (or two beds) in a box with just enough room for you to shimmy around it on three sides.

Not to mention the “communal” bathrooms out in the hallway. Seriously.

The hotels in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx are all decent options close to Manhattan, but at Christmas, they also hike up their prices.

For my family, the hotel is just where we sleep, shower, eat breakfast, and drop off our shopping. I don’t need fancy, I just need clean and safe. But I also like to have a bit of breathing room.

With all that in consideration, we stayed at Extended Stay America just over the water in New Jersey!

Best Budget Hotel for Families Near NYC

For half the cost of the cheapest Manhattan hotels, Extended Stay America allowed us to afford a full suite with a king bed (in a separate bedroom), a full bath, a living area with a pull-out sofa bed (though I never recommend using those), and a small kitchenette.

My son still climbs into our bed every night, so we just planned on him sleeping with us while my daughter slept on the couch (it was more comfortable than the flimsy pull-out mattress). We brought nightlights and left the bedroom door open so she’d feel safe.

The room was clean, including all parts of the bathroom. Both the living area and bedroom have TVs, which was great for the kids to watch cartoons in the morning when my husband and I weren’t ready to wake up yet.

Everything is… beige and brown, so not the prettiest place to look at. But that doesn’t matter to me. It has an air conditioning unit that you can adjust, and we had no trouble keeping the whole suite warm.

The lobby has pretty good coffee in the mornings as well as hot water for tea, and chocolate and blueberry muffins for grab-and-go breakfasts. Late at night, you have to swipe a key card just to get into the building, which I liked!

The hotel is in an area filled with familiar chains from home, like Walmart, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Red Lobster (we went to all of these during our week there!). There is even an Auto Zone I stopped at when our car’s “check engine” light came on!

But the best part of all? The hotel is a thirty-second walk to a bus stop, where the Bx19 express bus frequently stops to take you straight into Grand Central in just 20 minutes.

What to Pack for NYC at Christmas

Honestly, my main concern about Christmas in New York City with kids wasn’t the crowds or crime; it was the cold!

Knowing you’ll spend a big part of every day outside and walking in freezing weather can be nerve-wracking when you need to keep your children warm and comfortable. This is what we packed to make that easy!

• Knit hats
• Scarves
• Fingered gloves
• Lined winter coats (I love these at Target)
• Sneakers and boots
• Thermal shirts and pants for my husband
• Knit knee-high socks for me
• Knee-high socks and tights for my daughter
• Fitted winter tights for my son
• Hoodies for warmer days
• Undershirts, t-shirts, and long-sleeve shirts for layering
• Sweaters
• Jeans and sweatpants (the kids wore them over their tights)
• Hot Hands and Toe Warmers
• Snow gloves and boots (check the weather before leaving to see if they’re necessary; otherwise, save your luggage space for souvenirs!)

Pro tip: When you’re constantly going from the freezing cold to very warm department stores, layers can be a lifesaver to keep you from sweating and chilling. Take a backpack or tote with you to carry your coats or layers in while you shop.

I also highly recommend packing the following (in addition to your usual toiletries):

• Reusable totes. While a lot of stores in NYC do offer their own totes or plastic bags, it’s almost always at an additional cost.
  
  I didn’t mind buying bags at the Disney store or FAO Schwarz as keepsakes, but paying for plastic or paper bags is such a waste. Take some of your own!
  
  
• A good camera. If you’ve got a newer phone (from the last year or two), you’ll be able to take some great pictures and videos. Just make sure you clear out your phone storage before your trip so you can take a LOT.
  
  
• Disposable cameras. Give these to your children to try their hands at urban photography. They’ll be so excited to see their own work – and it’ll likely be their first introduction to photos printed from film!
  
  
• Ziploc bags. We had some occasions when we wanted to try some special foods and treats, but the kids couldn’t finish all of theirs. Having bags to put them in prevented us from wasting the food.
  
  
• A cross-body purse. I am a big fan of Loungefly mini backpacks, and that’s what I usually carry and wear around my hometown. But I didn’t want my bag behind me where I couldn’t see it when we were packed in like sardines in certain parts of the city.
  
  My lovely husband bought me a Loungefly cross-body bag for Christmas, and it was perfect for keeping my purse just under my chest while we walked (so I could still hold my kids’ hands).

Free Christmas Activities in NYC

Believe it or not, there are a lot of free Christmas things to do in NYC with your kids. So much that you could easily fill a holiday weekend without spending a dime on attractions!

So what are some popular activities in New York during Christmas? I’ve got the scoop here – just make sure you show up early to beat the crowds. Everybody loves free stuff!

See the Rockefeller Tree

Of all the things to do in New York City at Christmas, seeing the biggest NYC Christmas tree is the #1 item on everyone’s list.

Located in the heart of Rockefeller Center between 49th and 50th Streets off Fifth Ave, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is America’s tallest and most famous tree every year.

I found it to be beautiful both day and night, though it obviously shines brighter in the dark. Glowing herald angels also line the center of Rockefeller Center leading up to the tree if you start walking to it from Fifth Avenue.

You should know that they do keep the area around the actual tree barricaded, so you can’t get super close.

Due to the barricade, everyone is forced to cross at the front of Rockefeller Plaza, which is not nearly enough space for such a large crowd of people. If you need to get from 49th Street to 50th (or vice versa) in a hurry, you’re probably better off going all the way around the block.

If you’d like to see the tree when it’s first lit, that ceremony is on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving. It’s not until well after dark, but if you want a spot up close, you’ll have to get there really early.

The Rockefeller tree stays lit until the first or second week of January (they announce the final date each year).

Hunt for More Trees!

While the Rockefeller tree is certainly the most impressive, going to New York City at Christmas with kids is a great excuse to go Christmas tree spotting.

We didn’t go out on an official “hunt,” but I did make it a point to look for Christmas trees – and take pictures with them – everywhere we went.

I ended up with pictures of over two dozen Christmas trees, including one made out of LEGOs!

Here are some free places in NYC you can spot gorgeous Christmas trees:

• South Street Seaport (downtown East, Front St. & John St.)
• New York Stock Exchange (Financial District, Wall St. & Broad St.)
• Washington Square Park (Greenwich Village, Washington Square N & Fifth)
• Madison Square Park (Flatiron, 23rd & Madison)
• Bryant Park (midtown, 41st & Sixth)
• New York Public Library (midtown, 41st & Fifth)
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Diamond District, 50th & Fifth)
• The Plaza Hotel (Central Park South, 59th & Grand Army Plaza)
• The Lincoln Center (Lincoln Square, 63rd & Columbus)
• Central Park (Central Park North)
• Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Morningside Heights, 112th & Amsterdam)
• Most retail stores!

Visit Santa in Santaland at Macy’s

If you’ll be in NYC before Christmas, the best place to take your kids to see Santa is at Macy’s on Herald Square (between 34th and 35th Streets).

Santaland at Macy’s is up after Thanksgiving and continues through Christmas Eve. It’s an indoor village that leads you through trees, Christmas lights, Santa’s workshop, and finally, to meet Santa. The experience takes up to 90 minutes to navigate.

While the experience itself is totally free, reservations are a must. They usually go quickly, and you can’t book in advance until 5 days before your chosen date.

Even if they’re sold out, you can keep checking Macy’s website for openings up until 30 minutes before your desired time. You never know what will pop up!

And while you can pay for the professional photo that’s taken of your kids with Santa, you are also allowed to take your own photos with your phone.

See the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

While Christmas lights are on every Manhattan street, the best place for an NYC Christmas lights drive-through is in a small neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn.

It all started in the 80s with just two homes that decided to go all-out decorating their homes with Christmas lights and insignia. Their friendly rivalry gradually drew in most of their neighbors, and now Dyker Heights is a full-blown tourist attraction at Christmas time.

There are many ways to experience the Christmas lights in Dyker Heights: on foot, in your own vehicle, or on a paid tour (available both on foot and by bus). If going on foot, don’t even think of parking a car nearby; take the subway or bus into Brooklyn instead, and walk from there.

If taking your own vehicle, make sure you head there just before dark and prepare for a very slow drive (take snacks for the kids). The best time of year to drive through without as much of a crowd is at the beginning of December, though not all of the residents will have all of their decorations up yet.

While not all residents go all-out on decorating, most of them do. The most-involved homeowners also collect money for charities, and street vendors are out with warm drinks and snacks, so take some cash if you’re going on foot.

The best-decorated houses are between 11th and 13th Avenues from 83rd to 86th Streets.

Looking at Christmas Window Displays

One of the oldest Christmas traditions in Manhattan is the NYC Christmas decorations adorning the oversized windows of major retail stores.

Most of the stores have a different theme for their displays every year, bringing locals and tourists alike to their storefronts each Christmas.

These are some can’t-miss NYC Christmas window displays:

• Macy’s (Herald Square, 34th & Broadway)
• Tiffany & Co. (Diamond District, 49th & Fifth)
• Saks Fifth Avenue (Diamond District, 50th & Fifth)
• Cartier (Diamond District, 52nd & Fifth)
• Louis Vuitton (Central Park South, 57th & Fifth)
• Bergdorf Goodman (Central Park South, 58th & Fifth)
• Bloomingdale’s (Upper East Side, 59th & Lexington)

Saks Fifth Avenue Light Show

Saks is far more than just a window display, so I’m giving it a special shoutout.

The entire front of the Saks Fifth Avenue building is actually a light show – and it was by far my favorite light display from our whole trip.

The facade is covered in LED Christmas lights in various forms, and after dark, every ten minutes Saks puts on a four-minute light show set to music (that plays plenty loud enough to hear over the passing traffic).

For 2022, Elton John’s music was highlighted in the show.

Shopping at Christmas Markets

While visiting an NYC Christmas market is free, there’s a good chance you’ll want to have some spending money on hand. It’s hard to resist buying the artisanal offerings!

Christmas markets are becoming wildly popular as more Americans are making it a point to support local businesses. And that’s what you’ll find, even in NYC markets: goods produced by locals and small businesses.

So bundle up, get some hot chocolate (or maybe some alcohol), and browse away!

Union Square Holiday Market

Located on Union Square near 14th Street, this market is open from mid-November through Christmas Eve.

The Union Square Holiday Market is particularly great for kids, with a children’s art center, live music, a warming station… What more could you want?

I really love this location due to its access to other non-Christmas but kid-friendly activities, such as a Barnes & Noble and an AMC movie theater. These are great places to warm up after shopping in the cold.

It’s also a pretty short walk from the Harry Potter New York store and the Flatiron LEGO store (which is usually easier to get into than the Fifth Avenue location).

Grand Central Holiday Fair

If your kids aren’t loving the idea of shopping for knickknacks outside, this Christmas market is the right one for you! It’s completely indoors at the Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central at 42nd and Park.

This market also begins mid-November and runs until Christmas Eve.

Grand Central Holiday Fair is specifically focused on American-made gifts, featuring everything from clothing to home decor to self-care items.

Be sure to check out the lobby (and ceiling mural) of the nearby Chrysler Building after you’re done shopping!

Bryant Park Winter Village

The Bryant Park Winter Village is the only market that stays open after Christmas Eve, so this is the only one we got to visit. It actually stays open until March!

Not only does the park hold over 100 stalls, but it also has an ice rink and an outdoor bar with hot cocoa, adult beverages, and snacks.

There is no charge to watch the ice skaters, and you can even bring your own food. However, reservations are required to skate on the rink or play bumper cars on ice (the latter starts after the first of the year).

If you make it there during the week leading to Christmas, you can also visit Santa’s Corner to meet the big guy himself for a photo opportunity!

There are also heated “igloos” (plastic domes) available for rent starting at $215 that include 90 minutes of time in the igloo as well as hot cocoa or cider, gourmet popcorn, fair-style food, and fries. Personally, I don’t think this would’ve been worth it for us as there’s really nothing for the kids to do in the dome besides eat.

You can add an outdoor curling lane for an extra $60, and I do think my kids would’ve enjoyed playing, but the total $275 price tag definitely wasn’t worth that to me.

This park is right next to the main branch of the New York Public Library, which is a great place to warm up. Head into the basement to find the children’s section!

Columbus Circle Holiday Market

Set up on the southwest corner of Central Park, this Christmas market features elegant German-style stalls filled with unique wares and foods.

This market opens daily starting the week after Thanksgiving and ends on Christmas Eve.

After checking out the vendors here, you can grab a carriage ride through Central Park, check out the Central Park carousel, or head north for an expensive meal at Tavern on the Green!

Fun Things to Do in New York at Christmas with Kids

These Christmas activities will require some cash, but they won’t break the bank.

Book everything in advance that you can! Expecting to show up and be accommodated on any given day at Christmas time is a recipe for disappointment.

New York Botanical Gardens GLOW + Holiday Train Show

I tried not to recommend anything outside of Manhattan for most of this guide (just for the sake of simplicity), but this one is too good not to mention!

Up in the northern part of the Bronx, the New York Botanical Gardens was one of my favorite places to visit during our Christmas vacation. (The hour-long subway and bus commute up there was a welcome break after a long day of walking, too.)

There are two parts to this Christmas attraction: GLOW, the lights that are put up around the Gardens, and the Holiday Train Show, which is a separate indoor event. Make sure you choose both when buying your tickets!

With kids in tow, I recommend choosing your Train Show time for an hour after it’ll be good and dark, around 6:30PM. Plan on eating dinner at the NYBG, and plan on arriving there by 5PM (just before sunset).

Please note: the train show is available in the morning, but if you go that early in the day, you won’t get to enjoy GLOW, which doesn’t start until dark.

After you go into New York Botanical Gardens, head to one of the outdoor vendors or the Pine Tree Cafe for a hot meal. If you want to be guaranteed a table at an indoor restaurant, you can make reservations at the Hudson Garden Grill on-site instead.

NYBG GLOW

When you’re done eating, grab a GLOW map and head into the gardens for a stroll through all of the lights! (We found the gardens to feel much cooler than the rest of the city after dark, so dress warmly.)

My favorite part was the “dandelions” – balls of white light on the ground that were set to music.

Once you’ve seen all the lights (and the tip of your nose is icy), it should be time to go warm up at the Holiday Train Show inside the Haupt Conservatory.

NYBG Holiday Train Show

I loved this so much more than I expected I would. The show features over 190 miniature New York landmarks made of all-natural materials such as birch bark and cinnamon sticks.

Motorized trains zip through the entire exhibition, going over bridges above your head and sneaking through the conservatory’s greenery.

I was just in awe over the level of detail in the buildings and couldn’t get enough of the little trains going through everything.

It took us about 40 minutes to walk through every room of the train show.

You’ll definitely need to book this ahead of time. Both GLOW and the Holiday Train Show begin mid-November and continue through mid-January. That makes this a great choice for an NYC Christmas activity with kids no matter when you’re planning your trip.

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights

Next door to the New York Botanical Gardens, you’ll find the Bronx Zoo. Their Holiday Lights experience also starts in mid-November and continues through the first week of January.

While the Holiday Train Show was a highlight of our trip for me, I must admit that the zoo’s Christmas lights are far superior to the Gardens’.

The zoo has fully immersive light displays and animated light shows as well as glowing animal lanterns and stilt-walkers in glowing animal costumes!

Instead of miniature trains, there’s also a large train you and your kids can ride on through the zoo (for a very reasonable fee).

You can also watch ice carving demonstrations and grab some excellent warm treats like hot cocoa, churros, and s’mores.

While you can book your entry for as early as 3PM to see some animal exhibits before they close at 4:00, you’d have a “dead” period of an hour before the holiday lights actually start.

For this reason, I recommend doing the NYBG GLOW and Holiday Train Show first, then having your reservation for the Bronx Zoo around 7:30PM (if your children can stay awake that long).

Ice Skating

Various ice skating rinks are open in NYC from October through March, so no matter how close to Christmas you’ll be visiting the city, this activity is definitely an option.

There are three main rinks with different pros and cons, so I’ll discuss all of them briefly.

Rockefeller Center

The rink directly behind the Rockefeller Tree is the most popular (and most expensive) ice skating venue in New York City.

Nestled in the ground in front of the giant Christmas tree and the Prometheus statue, near some of the best shopping and food in the city, it’s not hard to see why this ice skating rink is so desirable.

Advanced reservations are highly recommended, but you can also try to get tickets onsite. Ice skates are available to rent, or you can bring your own. Private lessons are available if you’re visiting on a Saturday in January!

Children ages 6-12 may skate on their own with an adult supervising off the ice for free. If available, a “penguin” can be rented for less-proficient young skaters to push along the ice.

The biggest downside of the Rockefeller rink is the strict 60-minute skating window. And if you show up late, you might have as little as 40 minutes of skate time.

Pro tip: The Rockefeller rink gets busier as the day goes on, particularly after 6PM.

Make reservations for a morning skate, then reservations for Bill’s Bar & Burger on the next block over at noon. (The Monster Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb Shake is enough for the whole family to share!)

Bryant Park

If you’re planning on shopping at the Winter Village, ice skating at Bryant Park is a no-brainer.

This rink is also wildly popular for two reasons: it’s a lot bigger than the Rockefeller rink, and it’s completely free if you bring your own skates!

Opening in late October and closing at the beginning of March, The Rink at Bryant Park is a great choice for morning ice skating with your kids. Reserving an early session can get you up to 90 minutes on the ice.

If you don’t have your own ice skates, the rentals are more expensive than at the other rinks (and the line to get them is long). But if you take your children before 11:30AM, the skate aids (penguins, snowmen, and little Zambonis) are FREE!

The snowmen can even be used by kids up to 5 feet tall. And children up to 14 years old can skate with a free chaperone off the ice.

So book a morning spot, then grab some lunch at Bryant Park Grill and take some hot cocoa with you while you shop at the Winter Village.

Wollman Rink at Central Park

Easily spotted down in a valley of the southeast end of Central Park, the Wollman rink is another great choice for ice skating for kids in NYC.

From late October to mid-March, both onsite tickets and advance reservations are available, as well as rentals for ice skates and children’s skate aids.

Tickets to Wollman Rink are a LOT cheaper than Rockefeller, with children being half the price! Even better: Wollman doesn’t set a limit on how long you can skate.

Plus, children as young as two years old can skate without an adult having to pay (though an adult is required to chaperone off the ice).

It’s best to show up well in advance of your reservation time, as the queue to get in is a bit crazy. Please make sure you’ve already filled out the waiver and reserved your ice skate rentals ahead of time to speed up the process!

The best thing about this rink is how close it is to the Central Park Zoo, which is one of my favorite places to visit in Manhattan. Skate in the morning and head to the zoo for lunch. The Tropic Zone will warm you right up!

Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off

Held in the Museum of the City of New York on the northeast side of Central Park, Gingerbread NYC is a contest among various bakers and bakeries across the five boroughs of NYC to make the most impressive gingerbread displays fitting the season’s theme.

The exhibit is open from mid-November through mid-January, and this is one of the best things to do in NYC at Christmas with kids because everyone under 20 is FREE at the Museum of the City of New York!

You can guarantee your admission by paying $20 per adult when reserving ahead of time; otherwise, you can take your chances by showing up and “paying what you wish” at the counter. For families on a tight budget, this is a great option.

You’ll be able to explore the whole museum, not just Gingerbread NYC, and there are always lots of other cool exhibits to explore.

This museum is also really close to Lasker Rink in Central Park, which has been a popular ice skating rink in the past. It is currently being remodeled as part of the Harlem Meer Center and is expected to reopen in 2024.

PaleyLand Holiday Extravaganza

A very short walk from the Rockefeller Tree, The Paley Center for Media is dedicated to preserving the history of media and opening conversations about how media influences our culture.

From mid-November through the first week of January, they put on PaleyLand, a four-story winter wonderland offering free hot chocolate and photo opportunities with Santa and other favorite Christmas characters!

Tickets are reasonably priced and provide access to the entire Paley Center. It’s highly recommended you purchase your tickets in advance.

Check their schedule to see when Santa, Rudolph, and others will be there, as well as the screening schedule for holiday favorites and special Christmas episodes of beloved television shows!

It’s no secret that children love TV, and there’s no point in pretending adults don’t, too. This experience provides the comfort of familiar holiday specials and the opportunity to learn from them.

Holiday Lights & Movie Sights Tour

Starting just after Thanksgiving and ending just after New Year’s, this Christmas-themed bus tour is truly one of a kind and fun for all ages.

You’ll hop on the heated tour bus at 63rd and Broadway (near Columbus Circle at the southwest corner of Central Park) to begin a 2.5-hour journey through the most iconic holiday landmarks in New York City, ending in Bryant Park.

Not only will you pass by where famous holiday movies were filmed, but you’ll see where the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins, the gorgeous Christmas displays at Macy’s, and, of course, the Rockefeller Tree.

The bus also stops for a great photo opportunity with the Lincoln Center Christmas tree.

Tickets are pricier than the value of the usual hop-on-hop-off buses (where you can use the pass for multiple days). Then again, most Christmas-specific experiences are priced at a premium!

Carriage Ride Through Central Park

This is a hotly debated topic in NYC these days, and I completely understand why.

When planning our trip to NYC at Christmas with our kids, I very much wanted to go on a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park. We ended up not doing it – partly because of our busy schedule, and partly because of my conscience.

Horse-and-carriage rides are a long-standing New York City tradition. That being said, animal rights activists are trying to abolish the practice, citing the way many of the horses are treated by the companies offering these rides.

In my research, I found that NYC Horse Carriage Rides were consistently rated as fair in price with quality service and great care for their horses. They’ll take you through all of the famous Central Park landmarks, providing a photo opportunity halfway through.

While we walked through Central Park, I noticed some horses were covered in very warm blankets while others were not… and it was definitely freezing outside. So not all horse drivers are equal, that’s for sure.

It’s up to you to decide what you’re comfortable with. If you’d still like a carriage ride but don’t want to burden a horse, a more modern option that’s become available is pedicab rides (where a person pedals a bicycle-pulled carriage).

The downside, though, is that pedicabs don’t hold as many people. By law, the maximum is three (including children), with a total weight limit of 500 pounds.

Whichever route you choose, I highly recommend booking your ride ahead of time so you know exactly what the price is. You should be able to book your time without having to pay for it upfront.

Expect the price to be different if you try to grab a carriage on a whim. And if you do hail a carriage (horse or pedicab) as a walk-up customer, agree on the price per minute (and total based on your destination or desired ride length) before you even get in!

Christmas Shopping with Kids in NYC

Like it or not, a New York City must-do with kids at Christmas is toy shopping. Especially these days, when dedicated toy stores are so hard to find, who can resist browsing what the city has to offer?

Hitting up kids’ stores in NYC was a priority for us, so I’ve got the scoop on the best ones to stop at.

The Disney Store

This store moved closer to Times Square (46th and Seventh, to be exact) from where it once resided near Grand Central back in my college years and is one of the last remaining brick-and-mortar Disney stores in the world.

With two floors of magic and a giant Cinderella castle facade dripping in Christmas lights, it’s a must-visit! Keep an eye out for NYC-exclusive merchandise you can’t get anywhere else.

We went twice. In the morning, there was no wait to get in. In the afternoon, we had to wait a couple of minutes before shuffling in, and they had closed the upstairs (it was about 15 minutes till closing time).

American Girl Place

Boys and girls alike are awed by this upscale toy store next door to the Rockefeller Tree! A beautiful Christmas tree welcomes you to the two-floor doll shop where you won’t walk out with an 18-inch doll without spending at least three figures.

If you’re feeling extra spendy, you can reserve time in the salon for your child and their doll, or a special teatime experience featuring sandwiches and treats.

For my family, window shopping was plenty. My daughter knows the value of a dollar and wasn’t interested in blowing her spending money in here, haha.

The LEGO Store

There are two LEGO stores in Manhattan, both are on Fifth Ave, and we visited each. of them! The one near 23rd Street in Flatiron only had about a 10-minute wait to get in, but there wasn’t much to look at inside.

The one near Rockefeller on 51st Street is MUCH larger, and has way more to look at and do!

For this reason, though, the line for it wrapped around the block all the way to the entrance of Radio City Music Hall every day.

I have a secret to getting in quickly, though: make a reservation for the Minifigure Factory at your desired entry time. (On the website, search for the Fifth Avenue store and select the service you want to reserve.)

Make sure you print it out, go straight to the front door near your chosen time, and show the reservation to the LEGO employee standing outside.

You’ll be invited to go straight in and up to the second floor!

We realized we didn’t have to actually purchase a Minifigure Factory item (they are $11.99 each) because no one was keeping tabs to make sure we bought the box and went to the reserved screen. But we ended up getting two (one for each kid) anyway, as well as a ton of LEGO sets, haha.

FAO Schwarz

This historic toy store used to be located on 58th and Fifth when I was in college, very close to where the Disney Store used to be. It closed in 2015, but later reopened in 2018 at a new location in Rockefeller Plaza!

The line outside is roped off and always looks long, but the truth is it moves very quickly, and we were inside in no time.

Inside is three floors jam-packed with every kind of toy imaginable, from small drones and robots to Barbies to giant plushies. There’s even a Build-a-Bear shop on the third floor.

FAO toys are known for their quality… and also their prices, so be prepared to spend a lot here.

The Nintendo Store

My son is wild about all things Mario and most Nintendo games in general. Both kids play our Nintendo Switch daily. So visiting this store was a must for us! Fortunately, there was no wait to get in.

Inside you’ll find giant statues of favorite characters such as Bowser, Pikachu, and Link. Video games, plushies, shirts, and collectibles are everywhere.

Up on the second floor, there’s a giant projection on one wall where families can race each other in Mario Kart for all to see. You can even have a conversation with an animated Mario!

M&M’s World

When I was a kid, I collected the annual M&M dispensers (and Green was my favorite). While I don’t do that anymore, visiting this store is literally “eye candy” thanks to all the bright colors and fun things to look at.

I wouldn’t say it’s a must, but you’ll probably walk by it at some point if you visit Times Square (it’s at 48th and Seventh), so you might as well pop in.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

This is just down the block from M&M’s closer to 47th Street and features Hershey’s brands, including Reese’s and Twizzlers. There’s merch as well as giant containers of candy.

If you’re feeling hungry, they have a full treat bar with ready-to-eat sweet concoctions, as well as a s’mores bar and milkshakes!

Toys ‘R’ Us

If you thought Geoffrey the giraffe was toast, you’re wrong! All Macy’s stores now have a Toys ‘R’ Us inside, including the Macy’s on 34th Street.

This Macy’s is huge – like mind-blowingly massive. Go up to the 7th floor (yes, 7th, and it’s not even the top) and ask the nearest associate where you can find Toys ‘R’ Us.

While we thought the one in the American Dream Mall was better, this one is definitely worth checking out. It was also the first time my kids ever set foot in a Toys ‘R’ Us!

Harry Potter New York

This store was on my personal must-list, as I have been a huge HP fan since the first book came out when I was almost 10.

Sometimes there’s no wait to get in, but more often, you have to show up, scan the QR code by the door to join a virtual queue, and wait for a text letting you know to come back. Fortunately, it only took about 15 minutes after I scanned in to get our return text!

We were not disappointed. Not a speck of this store resembles that of a Muggle shop. The elevators are designed to look like part of the Floo Network, and Dumbledore’s staircase with a Phoenix statue is featured in the very center, leading to the lower level.

Various sections feature magical creatures, fine jewelry, house memorabilia, and even glass-encased rare merchandise for sale.

Of course, we simply had to get butterbeer (which comes in souvenir cups), and our children got butterbeer ice cream. The servings were so big they couldn’t finish them, and my husband and I enjoyed the soft-serve flavor very much. Be prepared to stand while enjoying your snacks, though.

This store has some exclusive merchandise (I got a golden snitch wand), as well as some pricey-but-worth-it VR experiences (make sure to reserve them ahead of time)!

Best Things to Do in NYC at Christmas with Kids

These activities come at a premium, but if you’re planning a trip to NYC at Christmas with kids, these are honestly the kinds of things that are really worth doing.

It’s all about making memories, and these are the best things to do to make this the best Christmas ever!

Eat Breakfast with Santa

On the 6th floor of the giant Macy’s at 34th and Broadway is Stella 34 Trattoria, the store’s keystone restaurant. From the Friday after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, bookings are available to have breakfast with Santa here!

If you only book one experience for your kids to meet Santa, this should be your first choice. This guy’s the real deal: you’ll recognize him as the very same Santa that rides in the sleigh at the end of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The meal itself includes a variety of freshly baked pastries, hot chocolate, and a choice of eggs, pancakes, and more! You’ll be surrounded by elves and singing carolers before your kids are given a photo opportunity in Santa’s lap.

And let’s not forget your parting gifts! You’ll be sent off with cookies and candy canes as well. This experience is expensive, but there’s a lot of bang for your buck.

Keep in mind, though, that the premium for this breakfast does not include access to Santaland in Macy’s. You’ll have to reserve that separately.

Christmas-Themed Restaurants in NYC

Enjoying a fine meal in a warm restaurant full of Christmas decorations should absolutely be on your list of things to do in NYC at Christmas with kids.

My family and I ate dinner at Tavern on the Green, and I personally think it’s one of the best NYC Christmas-themed restaurants you can find. Not only are the decorations gorgeous, but the food is outstanding.

Tavern on the Green

This restaurant located on the southwest end of Central Park is world-famous, featured in lots of films, and known for being frequented by celebrities like Frank Sinatra, John Travolta, and Jennifer Lawrence.

The Tavern has a long, covered (and heated in winter!) outdoor entrance leading into the dark, soothing ambiance of the restaurant. Garland and Christmas lights are everywhere, along with a uniquely themed Christmas tree in each of the dining rooms.

The cheapest thing on the adult menu is a $14 side dish. Our server talked me into starting with the chef’s special of the night – a French onion soup that, while delicious, cost more than either of our entrees.

But oh my, were my braised beef short ribs heavenly. And the portions were so large we couldn’t even think about dessert (as amazing as they sounded).

Yeah, my children both ordered mac and cheese. But at least it was white cheddar and fontina instead of Kraft – and they both actually loved it!

The most important thing about Tavern on the Green is that you are not crammed into a tiny table or given a time limit for eating, unlike other Christmas restaurants in NYC. A coat check is available as well.

It’s a fairly short walk from the Lincoln Center, making it a great choice to enjoy a meal after seeing a performance of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker!

Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular

If you can only see one of the Christmas shows for kids in NYC, let it be the Christmas Spectacular.

This Rockettes NYC Christmas show is everything I could’ve hoped for and more and was truly a dream come true for me. But also, my kids were totally engaged for the full 90 minutes!

It’s not just the Rockettes featured in the Christmas Spectacular, though they are the highlight. Santa is the host of the show, and several other dancers and singers perform as well, putting on one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen.

The show features a lot of the same bits every year, like the toy soldier Rockettes falling over like dominoes (which is hilarious). But they always incorporate something new, too, making each season’s show a unique experience. Lots of ambient extras are featured as well, such as snow and flying fairies!

Our children loved this show more than anything else we did in NYC the week after Christmas. Hugo was falling asleep in his chair before the show started, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off the action once it began!

The Nutcracker at New York City Ballet

When it comes to Christmas shows in NYC for kids, The Nutcracker is ubiquitous. Iterations of the ballet are performed all over the city, in various styles and at various price points.

Knowing we wouldn’t go back to the city again while my kids were young, I decided to go all-out on Balanchine’s version performed by the New York City Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater in the Lincoln Center. It is widely considered the best Nutcracker in town.

I can see why!

I wasn’t sure what my children, 8 and 5 years old, would think of a ballet with zero dialogue. The entire story is conveyed solely through action and dance, which can be tough for little ones to grasp.

To my delight, they both enjoyed the show! During the second act, my daughter kept checking her Playbill to read the description of each set of dancers because she wanted to know what to call them. My son did start to get twitchy toward the end, but he still behaved very well.

I highly recommend this show, but I definitely wouldn’t take a child younger than 5 years old. And if you only attend one big stage performance as one of your things to do in NYC at Christmas with kids, I’d choose the Radio City Christmas Spectacular instead.

See a Broadway Show

Your first Broadway show is a rite of passage. At Christmas in NYC, there’s always a Christmas play at one of the theatres, as well as plenty of other kid-friendly choices!

Please keep in mind that children younger than 5 years old should never be brought to a Broadway show unless you feel they are exceptionally mature and know they are able to sit still and quiet for long periods of time. Children under two are not permitted in Broadway theaters.

A Christmas Carol

Every holiday season there is a Broadway theatre putting on a performance of this classic Dickens Christmas story (though not always the same one).

Due to its seasonality, it is always very popular and tickets can get expensive. It’s also a bit spooky (remember the ghosts?), so it’s not suitable for children under 8 years old.

Disney & Others

If taking your kids to a Broadway show in NYC is on your Christmas trip bucket list, there are plenty of other options to choose from! They might not be holiday-related, but they are sure to be memorable all the same.

One of the most affordable Broadway shows for kids right now is Disney’s Aladdin, which is a story your kids are almost certainly familiar with.

The wildly popular Wicked is also kid-friendly, telling the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North – aka Elphaba and Glenda. It has a broader appeal, though, making it more expensive than Aladdin.

Disney’s The Lion King is an absolutely incredible show, which is why it’s Broadway’s third-longest-running show ever! It has high prices to match its demand, but as someone who has seen it, I can’t recommend it enough. The visuals are absolutely incredible.

If your family is into the Wizarding World, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child might be a great show choice for you. Some of the content is a bit intense, though, so save it for children who are at least 8 years old. Ticket prices for this show are usually on par with Aladdin.

Cocoa & Carols Holiday Cruise

So much of visiting NYC at Christmas with kids is “go go GO” and can be exhausting. Why not book a relaxing cruise and sip hot cocoa while you see landmarks from the river?

The tickets for the New York City Cocoa & Carols Holiday Cruise are a bit pricey, but the experience does offer a lot. The yacht is fully decked-out in Christmas decorations, and a live jazz band plays throughout the sailing.

You’ll meet the boat at Chelsea Piers on the west end of Manhattan near 20th Street. Over the course of an hour and a half, you’ll cruise the Hudson River for fantastic skyline views of Battery Park and the Financial District, as well as a trip past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Enjoy Christmas cookies and hot cocoa (spiked for adults, if you like) while you take in the sights.

Cruises are available day and night, and I highly recommend a night sailing if possible. New York City skylines are stunning after dark, and the glittering Christmas lights onboard lend a cozy holiday vibe to the experience.

Touristy Things to Do with Kids in NYC at Christmas

If this is your first – or perhaps will be your only – trip to New York City, I highly recommend finding time to take your kids to various tourist spots, even if they’re not specifically Christmassy.

These are some of my favorites that my kids enjoyed too!

American Museum of Natural History

While the name for sure sounds boring, the American Museum of Natural History can keep kids occupied for hours!

We had to pull their arms to get them out of the solar system exhibit, and that’s just the first one you come to.

They loved everything they had time to see, including exhibitions about mammals, ocean life, human origins, meteorites, gems, and dinosaurs.

At Christmas time, the museum always has a uniquely designed Christmas tree on display! For 2022, all of the decorations were made out of origami.

You could easily spend an entire day here, so if you’re only stopping by for a few hours, choose your exhibits wisely!

Central Park Zoo

I visited the Central Park Zoo more than any other single spot in Manhattan while I was in college. The animals here are simply amazing!

Many of the open-air animals here thrive in the cold, making Christmas an excellent time to visit the zoo. My personal favorites are snow monkeys, red pandas, and sea otters. You’ll also see penguins, grizzly bears, and snow leopards!

Not to be missed, though, is the feeding of the sea lions. These three ladies put on quite a show, performing tricks and stunts while the zoo staff feeds them and performs health checks. Check the schedule for times!

Central Park Carousel

This historic landmark is not a far walk from the zoo and is open even in the winter from 11AM to 5PM. Dress warm, because the Central Park Carousel is fast enough to catch a good breeze!

Tickets are $3.25 per person and cash only. There are stationary seats as well as hand-carved galloping horses.

Just outside the carousel, my son spotted a table filled with dozens of various Russian nesting dolls. He’d never seen anything like them before and begged for one – so take some extra cash just in case!

Top of the Rock

There are a ton of tall buildings in New York City to go to the top of for excellent skylines. The Rockefeller building is far from the tallest, but it’s still one of the best.

You get three levels of access: the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors. The 67th has some indoor space, which my height-fearing daughter appreciated.

There are two reasons I love Top of the Rock as my #1 choice for a top-of-building trip. The first is that you can get a great selfie with the Empire State Building behind you, which I think is an NYC tourist must!

The second is that the views are just perfect. It’s not so high that you feel like you’re looking way down at the city, but it’s high enough to have excellent views of many landmarks, including Central Park.

RiseNY

RiseNY is a very new attraction in Times Square (it opened in early 2022), and I was excited to try it.

You take a museum-style tour of various tributes to pop culture throughout the years in New York City before going on a ride!

My kids enjoyed the setups and memorabilia, even if they didn’t recognize it. They took turns pretending to be a late-night show host and guest and loved watching clips from current Broadway shows (the soundtracks are familiar to them thanks to my car playlist).

The ride itself is similar to Soarin’ at Disney parks if you’ve ever ridden it, just on a smaller scale.

Several people are strapped into a suspended hydraulic bench that swings around to a giant screen, where you experience a simulated flight over and through all the best attractions of New York City!

The simulation is specifically updated for the holiday season, too, featuring the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the New Year’s Eve ball drop.

My daughter was scared at first – there’s a fake elevator bit that is unnecessarily creepy since it’s unrelated to the overall vibe – but both kids ended up absolutely loving the ride.

Empire State Building

Do you need to go to the top of more than one building? No, of course not. But I highly recommend doing at least two to see different vantage points!

The Empire State Building is the most famous building in America, and when it was built, it was the tallest building in the world. That’s not the case anymore, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Kids particularly enjoy the theater screen playing clips from all the movies the Empire State Building has been featured in, as well as the King Kong photo opportunity!

Personally, I don’t think there’s a need to go all the way to the 102nd floor. Sure, it’s less crowded than the 86th floor, but you don’t need that high of a view to be able to see everything!

This tourist spot is a great choice at Christmas time, too, because the indoor areas are loaded with Christmas trees. The 84th floor also has a great photo opportunity with a giant projection screen you can sit in front of that’s made to look like a Christmas card in the city!

9/11 Memorial & Museum

I’m sure parents have mixed feelings about whether or not this attraction is appropriate for their children. I admittedly booked it more for myself than my kids.

At 8 years old, my very intelligent daughter was able to grasp a lot of what the 9/11 Museum was about. My 5-year-old son thought the twisted metal of damaged fire trucks and emergency service paraphernalia was cool to look at, but he didn’t understand why I started crying.

As emotional as it was for me, I am glad we went. It opened up a conversation with my kids about 9/11 and how it changed our country.

At Christmas time in particular, it can be an impactful way to teach your children to feel grateful for the good fortune that they have.

Head to the two memorial pools at the nearby site of the twin towers after you’ve gone through the museum. The names engraved on the perimeters bring up a lot of emotion, but the area is very peaceful and unusually quiet for the city.

Statue of Liberty

This is usually the one landmark tourists think of first when planning a trip to NYC, and deservedly so. No other statue represents what America means to the world quite so well!

We took the Statue City Cruises boat to Liberty Island and walked around to the front of the statue. Frankly, my kids seemed unimpressed. To be fair, she is a lot smaller than you’d expect her to look up close.

There was one thing they actually really loved, though, and to my surprise, it was the Statue of Liberty Museum! They genuinely enjoyed watching the three-part documentary in the theaters about how the statue came to be (and I learned a lot from it, too).

So, is New York worth visiting at Christmas with kids?

Despite living in NYC for the better part of four years, I was never there for Christmas (I’d fly home). I never even sought out Christmas activities because I was so busy with semester finals!

But as an adult with children of my own, purposefully visiting my favorite city in the world at Christmas was indeed a magical experience. Christmas trees and lights are everywhere, and there’s so much to do and see.

NYC at Christmas with kids is a great introduction to the city for children who haven’t been there before. A trip like this can set the stage for a lifelong love of the arts, history, and travel.

I cannot recommend taking kids to New York City at Christmas enough!

If you’re looking for non-touristy things to do in NYC at Christmas, you may be disappointed. Pretty much every Christmas activity is swarming with tourists. If you’re wanting to do things like the locals, you’re better off visiting at a different time of the year.

How to Spend Christmas Eve with Kids in New York

If you’re going to be in New York City on Christmas Eve, this is what I would consider a perfect day for kids (if you can snag the reservations):

• 8AM Breakfast with Santa at Macy’s
• Santaland at Macy’s right after (or skip this and do a later breakfast)
• 11AM Ice skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park, and grab muffins from Wollman Cafe after
• 2PM The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center
• 4:30PM Dinner at Tavern on the Green
• Cocoa & Carols Holiday Cruise (Any cruise leaving 7PM or after if your kids can hang that late!)

How to Spend Christmas in New York

Despite NYC being the city that never sleeps, it does get awfully quiet on Christmas Day. Not much is open, and frankly, that makes me pleased for the citizens of such a place.

Of course, as a tourist in the city on a holiday, you still have to make it through the day. And, ideally, Christmas Day in NYC should be a memorable experience for your children!

This is what I would consider an ideal Christmas Day in New York City with kids:

• Open gifts and eat breakfast wherever you’re staying
• Go early to Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree and ice skate (make reservations!)
• 11AM Radio City Christmas Spectacular
• Lunch at the Baccarat Hotel two blocks north
• Enjoy the quiet streets and window displays of Fifth Avenue
• Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral (check the mass schedule to attend or avoid)
• Head down to Chinatown for a relaxed and memorable dinner!

Where to Spend New Year’s Eve in New York City with Kids

With kids in tow, the best place to spend New Year’s Eve with kids in NYC is anywhere but Times Square.

Even adults in the know avoid Times Square on New Year’s Eve like the plague. It’s full of people who are literally barricaded into the area with no access to real meals or bathrooms.

Frankly, it’s gross, and no place for children to spend the day.

If you have a ton of cash to spare, you can always book a room in a Times Square hotel just for the evening (although some hotels have a minimum stay of multiple nights this time of year).

Keep in mind that little ones might not even be able to stay awake till midnight when determining whether the prices are worth it or not!

Here are some options (be sure to choose “Times Square View” rooms):

• The Knickerbocker Hotel
• Hilton Garden Inn Times Square
• Hilton Times Square
• Margaritaville Resort Times Square

Otherwise, I highly recommend just hanging out in your room wherever you’re staying and watching the ball drop on TV! You’ll be cozy, warm, and stress-free.

Pro tip: If you really want to see the ball drop in person with your kids, hang out in Times Square on December 30th. After 8PM or so, they’ll start doing practice runs of the ball drop, complete with a countdown timer on the screen!

We stumbled upon this by accident. We also saw Ryan Seacrest by the Planet Fitness stage after the first practice run!

Where to Go Besides Times Square on New Year’s Eve

Our Christmas vacation to New York City lasted until January 2nd, and I decided early on that New Year’s Eve would be the one day we DIDN’T go into Manhattan at all.

Instead, we went to the nearby American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey!

It’s the second-largest mall in America, featuring the country’s largest indoor waterpark (themed around Dreamworks animated characters), an indoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park, Angry Birds Mini Golf, laser tag, and more!

My kids loved spending half the day at the Legoland Discovery Center in the mall. It only has one “ride” (a ride car that takes you through scenes where you shoot lasers at targets), but it has lots of LEGO building stations, a 4D theater with multiple short films, and a tumble-and-climb play area.

There are also plenty of places to eat and an enormous amount of great stores, including an amazing Toys ‘r’ Us. We spent the whole day there and had a blast.

Tips for Visiting NYC at Christmas with Kids

I’ve got some important hacks for when you’re visiting NYC at Christmas with kids. I got to know the city well when I lived there in my younger years, but I’ve seen it through fresh eyes as a parent.

Do NOT drive in the city.

If you’re driving to NYC instead of flying, the only reason you should be driving in Manhattan is to get to your hotel. Then leave your car there. If you’re flying in, don’t even think about renting a car.

Public transportation in the city is so efficient, there is zero need to have a car. And believe me, public transit is a LOT less stressful.

One of the perks of staying across the river in New Jersey was that we had a hotel with plenty of parking for our car, and we used NJ Transit buses to get into the city.

If you must drive for any reason (like when driving your own car through Dyker Heights), make sure the boldest person is behind the wheel. You’ve got to be willing to get within inches of other cars if you want to get anywhere fast.

Don’t stay in the city.

While a shoebox next to Times Square would’ve been just fine for me and my husband in our younger years, these days, we require more creature comforts from a hotel.

You just won’t find those at a reasonable price in Manhattan at Christmas time.

Research hotels across the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey (think Weehawken and Secaucus) and book one that has everything your family might need.

Then download the NJ Transit app and get familiar with it. You can also use Google Maps to plug in your destination, and it will tell you which NJ Transit bus you need to catch to get into the city and where.

If you choose to stay in the Extended Stay America in Secaucus as we did, the Bx19 stops right at the corner and is a 20-minute ride into the city.

You can purchase your tickets on the NJ Transit app. When your bus gets to the stop, just activate enough tickets for the whole family and show the flashing QR code screen to the bus driver as you board.

Kids ride free with paying adults Friday night through Sunday!

These buses take you into Grand Central, which is extremely close to Times Square and connected to all the subway lines in Manhattan.

Learn the subway system.

A huge advantage has developed since I was in college, and that is the advancement of Google Maps.

All you have to do is plug in your destination and choose “walking” or “transit” and it will tell you EXACTLY what to do, down to how many feet you’ll walk, whether you need the uptown or downtown lines, and all of the trains that can get you there (and how long till the next one arrives!).

It’s amazing! And so much easier than it used to be. Just make sure you’re checking directions at the moment you’re about to leave because the instructions will change minute to minute based on whatever will get you there the fastest!

Also, I am an iPhone user, and I usually prefer the Maps app. I have to be honest: Google Maps is far superior when it comes to getting around NYC.

Don’t bother trying to “make” Maps work for you. Just stick to Google Maps.

When traveling with kids, buy MetroCards.

Since our kids don’t have their own smartphones to tap to use the new OMNY system, we bought 7-Day Unlimited Ride cards for the four of us. Even though we only used them for a total of five days, they saved us money because we used transit so much.

Do note, though, that if your child is short enough to walk under the turnstiles, they ride for free all day every day on the subway and buses.

For our trip, the old-school yellow MTA cards were still available for purchase (note: you can only purchase two unlimited cards per credit card!). Eventually, they will be phased out, but you’ll be able to purchase a contactless “fare card” instead to use for tapping.

Adults don’t have to use cards at all, though. Just make sure your preferred credit card is saved as the default card in your Digital Wallet and tap your phone!

Once you reach a certain number of taps in a week, your fares will be free, making it just like using an Unlimited Ride card.

Do the math before buying tourism passes.

Multi-attraction passes like GoCity Pass, Sightseeing Pass, and New York CityPASS can save you money if you use them right!

But not all attractions cost the same, so unless you’re planning to go to all of the most expensive ones the pass covers, you might be spending even more than you need to.

In my research, the GoCity Pass was the best value for us – but only if we got the 4-attraction pass. Cheaper attractions were, in fact, cheaper to just pay for them separately.

Also, since my son is 5 years old, he was free at a lot of tourist attractions! So we didn’t buy him a GoCity Pass at all and just paid for him as necessary.

All-inclusive passes for a certain number of days are highly unlikely to be worth your money if you’re focusing on Christmas activities. Holiday attractions usually aren’t included in passes, and you won’t have time to do enough regular touristy stuff to make them worth it.

Make yourself an itinerary starting with your Christmas activities and sprinkle in tourist spots around them, then compare the total cost of those attractions with the various passes to find the best value.

7-Day Itinerary for Christmas in New York with Kids

Want to know what our exact itinerary was for squeezing in all the Christmas fun and New York City sights we could handle in the week after Christmas?

I’m spilling the beans! Even better: I go over what we spent, too. I don’t share these details anywhere else!

Put the jolly back in your holiday.

Enter your name and email below to get a FREE 7-day itinerary for spending Christmas time in New York City with kids – including a sample budget!

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Surprising Kids with a Trip to NYC at Christmas

How can you get kids excited about a trip to NYC for Christmas, especially if they’ve never been?

I’ve got some ideas that worked for our kids.

Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

An annual tradition in our home, the Thanksgiving parade is filled with things your kids will be able to recognize during a trip to NYC at Christmas.

Perhaps they’ll get to watch a scene play out from a Broadway show you’ll be attending. Or maybe seeing the Rockettes do their thing will get them pumped for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!

And who could forget Santa at the end of the parade, ushering in the holiday season? If you’ll be dining with Santa at Macy’s, you can let your kids know that’s the guy.

Binge Christmas Movies Set in NYC

There’s not a shortage of films set in the Big Apple, but even when narrowed down to Christmas movies, there are plenty to choose from!

Arrange a movie marathon of these kid-friendly movies, then take your little ones to see some of the locations.

• Elf
• Home Alone 2
• Miracle on 34th Street
• Something from Tiffany’s

If you’ll be going to the ballet, you can also screen 1993’s The Nutcracker movie or the newer The Nutcracker and the Four Realms!

Let Them Know Their Budget

Nothing gets kids more excited than the prospect of having money to spend to pick out their own Christmas presents. Nothing!

It’s important that they know there is a limit when you’re out shopping because there are so many toy stores in New York, they’ll want to be careful about spending it all in the first place they stop.

Plus, spending money is an excellent opportunity for kids to practice their math skills. Even if you’re using a credit card, they should be keeping track of how much they spent so they know how much they have left (at least roughly).

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I hope this guide to NYC at Christmas with kids has been helpful in choosing things to do on your trip!

Of course, there are many more things to do in NYC at Christmas as they get older, but the activities above are plenty to pick from for children and adults alike.

If you enjoy planning vacations around holidays, you’ll enjoy reading about our Disney Wish Halloween on the High Seas cruise experience!